Jeffrey Durmer, MD PhD was recently the featured expert and co-host of Martina Desgouttes’ holistic health show Healthy Explosion on BlogTalkRadio. Dr. Durmer is Chief Medical Officer of FusionHealth®. During the show, Dr. Durmer and Ms. Desgouttes discussed the most common Sleep Disorders and the dangers associated with not getting adequate sleep. According to Dr. Durmer, Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) is the most common Sleep Disorder. SDB is a category of respiratory conditions that come on during sleep. The body’s upper airway muscles relax during sleep. When these muscles relax and vibrate, snoring is produced. When these muscles relax to the point of complete collapse, however, the airway is cutoff and breathing is temporarily suspended. This condition, known as Sleep Apnea, and other conditions caused by Sleep Disorders interrupt the restorative processes of sleep, often resulting in chronic health issues. In this ten minute segment, Dr. Durmer details various Sleep Disorders and the dangers associated with each, specifically with individuals in the transportation industry.

Click the play button to listen to Dr. Durmer’s discussion of the dangers of Sleep Disorders.

Key Points About Sleep Disorders from Dr. Jeffrey Durmer, MD PhD:

Sleep Disordered Breathing is the most common Sleep Disorder.

Sleep Apnea creates the “fight or flight” response with surges of adrenaline and cortisol.

These surges activate your blood pressure and release glucose, which produces insulin that is eventually stored in fat cells.

Chronic conditions caused by interrupted sleep include but are not limited to:

Hypertension

Type II Diabetes

Obesity

Increased risk of stroke

Sleep Apnea can occur in children and adults, although it is most common in middle-aged men.

5% of the American population suffers from Sleep Apnea.

Sleep Disorders are genetic and usually affect multiple members of a family.

Sleepiness is a symptom of Sleep Apnea and creates a work hazards in risk-intensive industries like for the transportation. industry.